Bocce Ball League / Rules

Attention New Town Residents!

If you are interested in playing BOCCE BALL or forming a team please contact Larry or Donna at 314.277.1363.

Bocce Ball League – Game Rules

Object of the game

The first team to reach twelve points wins the game. If the thirty minute time limit is reached with no team accumulating twelve points, the team with the most points wins the game. Points are awarded for each Bocce ball located within the scoring area which is closer than any of the opponents Bocce balls.

Game Information

Players must be current, past, or contracted New Town residents.

Registration fee is $10.00.

Minimum age is 14.

All teams must choose a team name and a team manager. The team manager will be the contact for league information and updates. The team manager will be informed of any game revisions or cancellations and should forward this information to all team members. Cancelled games will also be posted at the game courts with a ‘No League Games Today’ sign located under the scoreboard. Please refer to this or call your team manager if you are in doubt.

Regular season games will be held per scheduled times. Teams must be ready for play at these scheduled times or risk forfeiture of the game. Game time limits will be thirty minutes. No frame will be started after the thirty minute game time limit has expired, except one tie breaker frame, if necessary. If the (12) game points are not reached within the thirty minute game time limit, the high score wins the game. If no winner is determined after a tie breaker frame, both teams receive a tie and no win is awarded to either team. Game points will still count in cumulative season scoring.

Cancelled or postponed games will be played on subsequent days after the season ends, if necessary. Any further scheduling irregularities will be decided by the League Commissioner and will be communicated to each team manager.

Game cancellations will be determined by the Commissioner. If a game has started, but has not been completed at the time of the cancellation, it will be replayed in its entirety and all scoring will be reset to zero. If one game of a match has been completed, and the second game is cancelled, the completed game will count towards the standings and the second game will be rescheduled.

All collected registration fees will be returned to the qualifying teams at the end of the season in the form of a championship award determined by the League Commissioner. Dispersal will be determined by the League Commissioner as well, and will be based upon the amount of teams competing. No fewer than one team and no more than three teams will be eligible for the championship awards. All operating fees will be subtracted from the registration fee pool prior to awards distribution. At this time, the only expense that I see will be the purchase of tournament game Bocce balls as needed, which will then become the property of the New Town Bocce League.

The league championship will be based on cumulative game wins (first), cumulative game scores (second), and a single playoff game (last).

The League Game Official reserves the right to eject any player from a game. This action may be increased to ejection from the entire season by the League Commissioner. This decision will be made based upon previous warnings, repetitive, excessive, or severe rules violations, and / or disorderly conduct. Registration fees of any ejected player will be forfeited.

Game Play

Teams will consist of a minimum of two players; a maximum of eight players. Two, three, or four players may play during any game. Player substitutions can be made by registered members of the relevant team, and only at the start of a new game. In the event of an emergency, the League Game Official may allow an in-game substitution.

A minimum of one; a maximum of two players from each team will occupy opposing ends of the court.

Teams take four shots apiece per each frame. (One player per end takes two shots; two players per end take two shots each … no particular order per team mates)

Frames are eight shots taken per end; four per team. Rounds are both ends completing the eight shots.

A coin toss determines the team making initial pallino roll, or choice of Bocce ball color. The opposing team completes the remaining selection process. Bocce ball color will be retained by the same team for the entire match, or series of games.

A player may not step beyond the 16′ foul line at any time during the roll. This roll will be forfeited and any resulting strikes of the pallino or other Bocce balls will be reset to their original position. A forfeited Bocce ball will be removed from play for this frame only. If the reset cannot be determined, all Bocce exhausted shots from the team committing the foul shot can be removed from the field of play, if determined by the League Game Official.

All pallino and Bocce ball rolls must remain on the playing surface. A pallino roll leaving the playing surface of the Bocce court will be forfeited and the roll will then be taken by the opposing team. All Bocce balls leaving the playing surface of the Bocce court are ‘dead’ and will be removed from play for this frame only.

The opening roll of the pallino must pass and remain past the 16′ foul line of the opposite end completely or the roll will be forfeited and a new pallino roll by the opposing team will follow. Teams will alternate shots until a good pallino roll has been established.

The pallino roll is followed by the Bocce ball roll, by the same player. The object is to get the Bocce ball as close to the pallino as possible. This sets the mark. The Bocce ball must pass and remain past the 16′ foul line of the opposite end completely, or be considered ‘dead’. A ‘dead’ Bocce ball is removed from the court for this frame only and this roll is forfeited. Teams will alternate rolls until a mark has been set.

A player from the opposing team now tries to beat the mark; or get closer to the pallino. The opposing team continues to roll until it has set a new mark or has exhausted all of it Bocce balls.

Teams alternate shots in this manner until all eight Bocce balls have been rolled.

One point is awarded for each Bocce ball closer to the pallino than any of the opposing team’s Bocce balls. In the case of a tie of the two (or more) the bocce ball thrown first receives the point, unless there can be no determination which ball was thrown first then no point is awarded.

The scoring team begins the next frame. In the event of a tie, when there is no score, the previous frame’s starting team rolls second.

Twelve points, twelve frames, or thirty minutes completes a game. The team with the highest score wins the game. End of game ties continue for one added frame to determine a winner. If a tie exists after this extra frame, the game ends in a tie and each team receives their cumulative points, but no win or loss will be awarded.

The pallino and any of the Bocce balls can bet struck at any time by another Bocce ball.

If the pallino is struck during play and leaves the court, the opposing team will then retoss the pallino from behind the foul line. Play will continue from this point based upon the closest Bocce ball to the new position of the pallino. If the pallino does not cross the foul line of the opposite end, the opposing team will then retoss the pallino. Teams will alternate shots until a good pallino roll has been made.

The winning team begins the next game.

League standings consider wins first and cumulative points second in determining a season winner. In the event of a tie after both factors are considered, a one game playoff will determine the season winner. If all tie-breakers have been attempted and the playoff game remains in a tie, the rounds of the playoff game continue until a minimum of one point is awarded to one or the other team. This team will be the champion.

Shooting out of turn removes that shot from the relevant team. If any balls in play have been struck with an ‘out of turn’ shot, all tossed balls from the responsible team can be removed from the court if a reset cannot be determined, and play will continue with the proper sequenced shot as the next shot. The league game official will make the final ruling.

By removing or disturbing any balls in play prior to the scoring reconciliation of the round, a team member can forfeit his team’s scoring for the relevant round and allow all opposing team balls in play to be scored. This ruling will be determined by the league game official.

Both teams are responsible for the reconciliation of the final score of a frame prior to any movement of any balls. Any scoring conflicts should be settled by the League Game Official at this time. The resulting score will then be posted on the scoreboard by either team. Once the next round has begun, all scores are final and play continues.

Both teams are responsible for verification of the final score by posting it on the score sheet immediately after the conclusion of the last round. This completes the game and all scores will then be recorded.

All shots must come to a complete stop before the next ball is thrown, or the shot will be forfeited. If the shot strikes another ball or the palino before the initial shot comes to rest, it will be the decision of the game official as to how many balls will be forfeited by the tossing team.